Brown Recluse Spider

The brown recluse spider is part of the genus Loxosceles and is sometimes known as “fiddleback” spiders or “violin” spiders because of the violin-shaped marking on the top of the cephalothorax, which are the head and the thorax.

The brown recluse spider has six eyes, which are all arranged in three pairs (sometimes a pair may be so close that they look like one eye rather than two). Their eyes are also their most noticeable feature which makes it easy to identify a brown recluse spider.

Identify the Brown Recluse Spider

The violin-shaped marking is typically found only on more mature brown recluse spider. The brown recluse is range from a light tan to a darker brown color with their entire body being covered with thin hairs. The brown recluse spider is about 3/8 inches long and about 3/16 inches wide. Although the male spider are somewhat smaller in body length than females, their leg span is usually the same length.

If there is more than one color on the legs, or if the legs are dark brown, or if there is more than one pigment on the abdomen, it is NOT a recluse. Note: spitting spiders (genus Scytodes) have a similar eye pattern but do not have the violin mark.

The brown recluse spider is found throughout the Midwest and the southern central part of the United States. It is very rare to find a brown recluse spider outside of those particular areas. Brown recluse spiders are typically found outside in many different areas such as under rocks or logs, woodpiles, dirt, or debris. However, during the cooler months it is not uncommon to find brown recluse spiders within the house, especially basements, attics, closets, or anywhere else that is dry and warm.

Many times during those months the brown recluse will go without any food or water. It is nearly impossible to fully get rid of brown recluse spiders once they have become established in these areas of the home. The brown recluse does not spin a web either to catch their food; instead they hunt their prey which usually consists of insects, either dead or alive.

The brown recluse is actually somewhat nocturnal, as they spend most of the daylight hours hidden within rocks or logs. They line these homes with webbing, which is later used for holding their egg sacs. If a brown recluse spider is seen during daylight hours it usually has to do with the fact that they are hungry, otherwise they stay hidden.

Brown Recluse Spiders

Brown recluse spiders are not aggressive unless they are aggravated, which is like many other species of spiders as well. Some cases where they may bite is if they are trapped between skin and other surface or when putting on clothes that they are hiding in.

Because of that it is extremely important to thoroughly shake out clothing before putting it away to ensure that there are no hidden spiders that could possibly bite. The brown recluse spider bite is often not even felt, which makes it very dangerous. In some cases the bite is noticed right away because of immense pain, for others it can take several hours before the bite is even noticed. The reaction to the bite depends on how much venom is injected.

The only deaths reported from a brown recluse spider bite have been with children under the age of seven. However, the brown recluse is one of four species of spiders that is dangerous to humans along with the black widow spider. If bitten by a brown recluse spider it is vital that the victim seeks medical attention right away, and if possible capturing the spider and bringing it in will help ensure accurate identification. More about the Brown Recluse Spider Bite

Comments

M'Lynn Cavanaghsays:

One time my cousin and I were hanging out and she felt something tickling her knee and she looked down and it was a brown recluse she got up and jumped and I told her mom and by the time her mom was up the stairs she was crying saying it stings and it was a bite the size of her entire knee her insides were showing her whole leg was red and purple and bloody.

ive been bitensays:

i live in michigan, i was 25 years old at the time. ive been biten at least 4 to 5 times on the same foot under my computer desk. what did it feel like? well nothing at first. but after awhile i felt as though my foot must of been touching an electrical cord cause it felt like i was being zapped little bits at a time. so i check down below and didnt see any cords broken. later that night when i was preparing my bath. i noticed my foot looked red and started to peel in a certain area. the pain wasnt much at all. i could still stand on that foot. but ive noticed many punture holes near the red zone. then ive noticed these agressive little spiders in my apartment. they must of came from the basement area cause theres lots of spider webs down there. i didnt seek treatment. i just watched and observed my spider bites. today my skin is red and slightly lumpy on the left foot. it doesnt peel anymore but it was a great pleasure to see nature at its best. not to many people get red sores to take home. my foot is now immune to cold weather. thank you mr. spider

Kevinsays:

How to rid your home of a BR infestation, not possible… I moved to Kansas city 2 years ago and leased a 4-plex that had been vacant for months. It is full of BR I have about 50 dead I keep in a cup. I put down the sticky traps during the warmer months and they usually have to be replaced once a month from being full.

People say that spraying works that’s not true unless you directly hit the spider. What spraying does is make them move more than usual meaning you will see them more often, and either drive them deeper into your home (walls, attic, crawl spaces, above light fixtures, etc.) or into your personal items such as your shoes, furniture, bed, etc.

These spiders aren’t aggressive meaning they won’t charge you or purposely seek humans. I have noticed that if you reach at one say about to squash it they do usually raise their head or whatever to bite… They crawl up the legs of beds but they also fall from light fixtures into your beds or onto other surfaces. I’ve found them in every room in this house even where they have fallen into the toilet and sink. So be careful at all times if you know you have them in your home and keep the sticky traps in every corner.

If you must spray have the traps laid out and do it at night but be ready to kill the ones that run up from the baseboards after getting a smell of the spray. The larger guys are very fast too…

rose sanchezsays:

when i was a little girl, my dad came home from a church he worked at at the time, and brought home two “fiddleback” spiders. he flushed them down the toilets after he let us observe them. scary creatures, they are.

Tracy Nicholssays:

Oh by the way. If you see one and don’t want to get near it but want it dead. Spray it with aqua net hairspray and wait about a minute. You will have yourself a little statue for your collection and identification.

Tracy Nicholssays:

I owned a 27000sq ft restaurant in Peoria Illinois for 2 years. I opened in March of 2007 and by May I realized that the entire 110 year old train station was infested with brown recluse spiders. These spiders were very aggressive due to the activity. I had over 2000 glue traps in the building. They would be filled with spiders.

The ones I changed daily would have between 15 and 20 on each trap. Spraying was useless. I had one employee and myself bitten. I learned that the skinner you are the less the venom will effect you. I contacted a few universities and all agreed that due to the reclusive nature sprays and powders usually do not work. The spiders actually move around in a manner that powders and residual sprays do not get on their bodies just the hairs on them.

The restaurant is now closed and the building is vacant except for a bar. Perfect breeding ground for them. So if you live in Peoria Illinois ground zero for brown recluse is the old River Station restaurant. Lots of luck. I hate these things.

IISsays:

I live in west Missouri, and I think I have gotten bitten by a brown recluse. Lately I’ve found 3 rather large spiders in the corner of my room, I only got a picture of one that looks a lot like a wolf spider, but I can’t speak for the other two.

I must have gotten this bite in my sleep, I didn’t even notice it until today. At first I thought it was a pimple on my inner thigh, so I tried to pop it. I gave up on that, and eventually it turned into a large welt with a white head in the middle. It’s grown progressively in the past few hours.

I haven’t been feeling sick, or had any fevers but the bite is sore and hard where the white head is.

A. E. W.says:

From Fox News Channel 9 Thursday August 11th

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – A four-year-old boy was bitten by a brown recluse spider in Garrison, Minnesota over the weekend, landing him in the hospital and raising concern over a poisonous spider not native to the state.

Maxwell Junior Blake was playing in a sandbox with other children at his grandmother’s house at the time of the bite. Family members think the spider may have hitched a ride in the sand.

Disregard my last comment. My grandmother and I just went into the computer room armed with roach spray (wrong spray type, I know! :] ) and killed it. I would post a picture to help with identification, but for one, I am sure it was a brown recluse, and two………..Ima Scared 🙂

Jamie Hoffmansays:

I am at my grandmother’s house, and earlier today i was coming out of my room and noticed something on the floor. As I got closer to it, it moved. It was brown with a seemingly lighter outline on its legs and body. I am thinking it is a brown recluse, but I am no expert on spiders. But once I realized what it was I jumped back and then it scurried into the computer room, which is no longer used. I pushed a towel under the door, attempting to hold it in there. Please identify this ASAP, as my grandmother is elderly and not in good health. Any help greatly appreciated.

Joesays:

If you are bitten by a Brown Recluse spider you will likely need a mild broad spectrum antibiotic and a steroid(usually oral Prednisone). This will prevent mass necrosis(flesh rotting) and nasty scarring. Recent medical studies attribute the ill effects of the bite to a species of flesh-eating bacteria that lives in the spider’s saliva/venom. You need the antibiotic to kill the bacteria that is eating your flesh and the steroid to control the inflammation of your body responding to the attack. This combination should stop the necrosis.

Jasonsays:

Last night I found a BR bevy toe on the door frame to my bathroom. This is literally the first BR I’ve ever seen. How do I know if this is an isolated incident, or I have BRs all over?

cheryl lynnsays:

Okay, so I felt a spider or what I seen was a spider coming up my arm so I quickly brushed it off (big big big fear of spiders I cant even take a picture or even look at one but I will try to describe this one to you the best i can) so it kinda pinched me (or bit me) it itches and there is a bump OK the spiders body was small and brown and the legs were kinda mid long (at first i thought granddaddy long legs but I seen them and this is not what it was) so I sprayed it as fast as i could its legs were thin it was the ugliest thing i have ever saw do you think I need medical treatment please let me know thanks!

Alexandersays:

the cellar spiders are also mistaken for brown Recluse. they ARE GOOD! they eat Brown Recluses

Alexandersays:

If you see a spider that looks like a brown recluse but it legs are really thin and long like a daddy-long legs, that would be a cellar spider. There are different types of cellar spiders. I think around four. They are some times mistaken for daddy long legs.

Stephanie Zemansays:

Jorge – (cat died from necrotic wounds; dog with similar symptoms). The spider you have shown is a wolf spider. There are 2000 species of wolf spider and not one of them are poisonous. This spider is not your culprit. It sounds as though your pets are getting bit by a recluse. There are several different types of recluses as well as widows. You can go to www.spiderzrule.com and look through the list. They have every known and unknown species that a person could possibly find. I hope this helps and I do not know when you posted this hopefully not too long ago.

Jimsays:

Hi Megan,

Send any pictures to badspiderbites+jen@gmail.com. There is also a link at the bottom of the screen with my email as well.

Megansays:

I may have been bitten by a spider tonight on my left upper arm. No severe symptoms, but happened about 2 hours ago. My arm does feel semi sore and a slight tightness. I do not see any marks really, but I am really worried it may have been a brown recluse. I have a pic but it is not to visibly clear and cannot figure out how to post a picture on here? …help!

rowdysays:

Trudi P, bring them to a zoo

rowdysays:

Hi Nichole, personally, I’d give it a day or two you will know for sure. all spiders bite if it gets worse see a dermatology not a regular doctor

Chris Glissonsays:

I live in Johannesburg, South Africa and have had some really scary encounters with Violin spiders.
Some years ago I got bitten in the kneecap and my leg swelled up to probably double normal size. I used the old boil trick on this one and heated a glass bottle, placed it over the bite and on cooling it sucked the venom from the wound. Thank goodness for some bush therapy as this seemed to do the trick after a few days. The swelling and pain subsided and within about two weeks all was well.

My cousin got bitten in about the same spot and was fortunate not to lose his leg to amputation ! The leg has however lost a lot of muscle tissue and is roughly half the size it was before.

Then calamity. I got bitten just below my left eye some 15 years ago.

This wound has never healed and continues making the telltale blister and then erupts and creates a crater. Tried everything from doctors, to herbalists to you name it and no cure !
South Africa is riddled with these arachnids and bites are becoming more frequent.
Only good place for a violin is under the sole of my shoe, where they regularly end up !

Nicholesays:

a few hours ago, I was bitten by a brown recluse on my neck. Small in size-fitting descriptions. It’s simply a red dot, and doesn’t hurt much. There seems to be a faint-very faint outline of red around the bite.

I would like to know what to do…I’m very low on money. Does the necrosis happen to everyone who is bitten? I don’t want to have doctors giving me useless medications/antibiotics…

Brandonsays:

I live in Arizona. This morning I was going through a bag of clothes and when I pulled a pair of pants out there was a spider just chilling but it was enough to freak me out. The clothes weren’t in a bag until recently and have only been inside my friend’s closet. The spider was brown and small about the size of a quarter maybe bigger this includes the legs too. The legs were very thin. I carried my pants out of my room but the spider wasn’t there anymore. What sorts of spiders are like this? Do I need to be worried about it in the house? I’m gonna be cleaning my room out later after work but I’m worried its a brown recluse. Should I let my friend know since the clothes had come from her house?

Brian Hultssays:

Thank you all for your pics, I thought i was bitten by the a little beast but it doesn’t seem so. although i have bee bitten by a spider it doesn’t seem to be a brown recluse i’ve seen what they can do my friend nearly lost his leg he had let it go way to long Thanks Brian…

Melodysays:

I cant believe it i have a ton of card board boxes in the basement the recluse love that time to get rid of the boxes!

Dannysays:

I’ve been killing what I think are brown and black recluses all over my house. My mom thinks it is a woodlouse spider. Are there any brown recluses in San Diego?

tadpolesays:

This is a really great website. Spiders really never bother me. That is because if one were unfortunate to come across me, it will be dead. I have killed so many over the years. I know some are supposed to beneficial. I thought may be I should change my wicked way so I am trying to find out if I should spare them. After reading and seeing some of the stories on here, I will keep my evil way. Because of back problem, I sleep on the floor. Now I will have to be extra careful. I will bookmark this site as a reference.

bobbysays:

Me and my fiance and our three kids just moved to lower mi and have problems with spider bites my son and my fiance had gotten bitten and spent weeks in the hospital and the local health department wont do a thing about it is there any one who can help we’ve sprayed and we still find them every day.

Pamelasays:

trudi P i live in Michigan and have the same problem.

Pamelasays:

I live in Michigan and have the same problem trudi p has and something needs to be done there have been 13 people with the same bites on them and a little boy even died from the infection. how do you contact people on here. i live near Detroit.

Pamelasays:

I was bitten by a brown recluse spider and my 3 year old son was two and i was wondering how to get rid of them. can you spray for them i was really sick we both spent a week in the hospital on iv antibiotics and are now seeing wound specialist and its hard because like any young child you cant keep bandages on them. thank you.

mandy85says:

we have them up here in Michigan we see them all the time outside cause we live by the woods. they do come in the house we find them in house a lot we had huge one in our basement wish i could take photo of it. never been bitten by one after i read this hope i never do.

Noahsays:

About a month ago, I found one on the floor or my bed room, causing me to about have a heart attack, since it was 2 inches away from my foot. Luckily, my cat was nearby to take it out, and she didn’t get bit, luckily.

Heathersays:

I’m pretty sure I was bitten by a brown recluse spider almost 3 months ago (Eastern OHIO) on top of my arm below my elbow. One day I noticed I had a round red mark about the size of a nickel, which had 2 small puncture marks in the middle, surrounded by a red ring of blistery skin that was very itchy for about 5 days. I looked on the internet right away and found my spot looked very similar to the picture on webmd.com for a brown recluse spider bite. I put everything on it to try to get the itching to stop and make sure it didn’t spread. I was clearing out old cardboard boxes in the garage.

We live in a farm type environment with LOTS of spiders and bugs and I’m pretty confident I saw spiders that look like the brown recluse. I didn’t get treatment, because it seemed like it was getting better and wasn’t bothering me (but it never has completely gone away). Just this week, however, after being out in the sun a lot and getting sunburn around the area of the bite, the bite spread to approx. a 2 x 3 inch patch outlined by a red blister ring. It started itching badly again (remember my bite was over 2 months ago).

Looks like I’m finally going to have to get some type of treatment, but it appears unless it is VERY serious, like eating away your skin, there isn’t much they can do for it other than maybe give some antibiotics. Very irritating. Seems to be a broad range of reactions to these bites. And don’t forget, anyone that tells you brown recluse spiders are only in certain states, well, we’ve got piranhas in the u.s. waters when they said it can’t be so. Go by your instincts and get treatment or get rid of them in your home if you think there is a problem.

barbarasays:

I lived in Ks.for 9 years and had never heard of a recluse up until a few months before moving to Missouri.Two of my friends were bitten.one required surgery.The house we bought in Missouri turned out to be severely infested.They are quite literally in the walls,baseboards,attic,ceiling and everywhere else in between.This was a preditorial sale to top it off.The whole house is just falling apart.It is bad enough that it needs demolished and the entire site needs burned.Every night I go room by room with a sticky trap collecting them.They have positively identified as a true recluse.We have had 6 bites in 3 years all requiring ER attention.

I have been advised by several honest people in the real estate profession and various other professions to not only move but to seek legal counsel.It just frustrates me to no end that the people involved in the sale of this house were supposed tho be professional and honest.Had that been the case we would not be living in this nightmare of a house.

Helen Lambournesays:

Hi there,
I sent you an email from my usual email account a few moments ago.
I am working on a new Animal Planet series about Extreme Pests and we are looking for a brown recluse / black widow or hobo spider home infestation story we can tell on the programme, where someone was actually bitten.
I wondered if you could help find this person?
Perhaps I could post my request on your site with my email address?
I will be guided by what you think.
Very best,
Helen
(based in London, UK)

Alexsays:

I think i have one in my house about 4 min ago i tried to kill a spider on wall it had a light brown abdomen couldn’t identify more because it moved i tried to kill it but now i cant find it it also had long legs and i believe i found net if it makes one its not a web but at the side of my tv in a v shape area there’s a nest, can anyone help me i cant sleep till i identify this.

lindalou246says:

I live in Minnesota and have spent the last 2 months dealing with a necrotic skin lesion that came on literally overnight. I woke up in the morning with an severe stinging sensation on my left thigh. It looked like a red burn,then turned into a huge blister, then the next day turned black, and deep….about the size of a quarter.

After seeing 6 doctors, I finally found one that identified it as a brown recluse spider bite.

He says that most doctors in this state are not familiar with this spider.I have been tested for every other thing imaginable, and the BR spider bite is the only thing this can be.

It is very painful. Takes FOREVER to heal. Your entire body feels sick and achy. You develop chills,nausea, and vomiting intermittently.

Just when I think I’m getting better, I get struck again with horrible leg pain, and difficulty walking.I had to be out of work for 6 weeks.

I am a nurse,thought I knew about insect bites, but this experience has been unbelievable.!

Joshua Dennissays:

I was in the weeds at my friends house. I noticed an itchy spot on my knee. It wasn’t itching that bad but it looked like a brown recluse spider bite. I mean it wasn’t burning but it was itching but not that bad. I thought it could been from the weeds but i dont know. Its a little spot that barely itched for a little amount of time. I have not felt any symptoms so far today but that could change. Please find out if it is a brown recluse spider bite.

Ty

Trudi P.says:

I live in a little town in Michigan and 22 years ago I was bitten by a recluse while I was asleep. I didn’t feel a thing. When I woke up I had about 8 little white dots that I thought were white heads. Tried to pinch them and nothing came out. So later that night I started feeling nausea and fever and my forehead was starting to form a boil.

The next day I knew something was terribly wrong and went to the ER.

Luckily the on call Dr. knew it was a spider bit and treated me properly Within a few days I felt back to myself again but I had huge indents in my forehead and now 22 years later they are still there. I’ve put sticky traps under my bed and I’ve caught several brown recluse spiders. My county wants to Hush-Hush this. They don’t want to scare the public and say that we don’t have them in Michigan. Well I have proof. I want to know where to send these spiders to confirm that we do have them. Also Id like to know , How can I get rid of them permanently.

My home is only 17 years old but my hubby says that under the crawl space it’s spider city.

Thanks,
Trudi

Trudi P.says:

I was bitten by a recluse about 22 years ago on the forehead. Eight bites. I has the tell tale white bumps, then it started to swell like a big red boil. Fever and nausea set in and by the next night I knew I needed to go to the ER. By the way I live in Michigan, a state they still say to this day that the recluse does not exist in. So when I got to the ER I was very fortunate. The on call Dr. made the right call on spot.

Spider bite. He treated it as if it were possibly recluse and I was fine, but I’m still left with indents in my forehead 22 years later.

I have a question, I’ve caught many recluses in my sticky traps under my bed, which doesn’t make for good night’s sleep. Can anyone tell me who I can send these spiders too, I want proof that my county does in fact have them. I know people who have been bitten by them. I feel like the local hospital wants to keep it hush-hush so the people won’t freak out. But I think they should know. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Klattusays:

“Bayer” bug spray in the blue gallon jug, be sure it says ‘germ killer’ on the front.
Kills even cock roaches.
Has a decent smell too.
I found it Home Depot for about $10

Anita Namaesays:

And more to my post, I checked my leg. There was a small spot, and I washed it, forgot about it. The tingling went away after half an hour or so, with a small bruise around the “bite” area. That’s it.

Anita Namaesays:

By the way, I thought only child rattle snakes were poisonous, as they don’t have a rattle.

Anita Namaesays:

Is it possible to have a non-graphic fiddle bite? I have a problem with them(in the winter), because they like to hide under the post-it notes on my wall. One time I accidentally kicked one and upset a few. A little later my leg was very tingly, but not asleep tingly. Hurty tingly.

I do have other spider problems in the winter, which I really don’t mind(I think they’re cute, and they keep the kittens distracted), but I just wonder what kind of creepy crawly would’ve caused something like this)

Concered Parentssays:

Are Brown recluse spider found in south Texas?

Sarahsays:

I was bitten on 4/22/10 at 5am while on the couch feeding my 8mo old baby. I felt the slightest pinprick/itch. Not having a free hand to scratch,i just rubbed my shoulder against the couch,not knowing i had killed the spider.
2 hours later,i got chills that would not go away. It started feeling like the worst case of the flu i’ve ever had. I decided I should go to the ER. By the time i got there,I was in anaphalyctic shock. I almost died. I was given an I.V of antibiotics(levaquin),benedryl,and steroids(prednisone) and dilaudid for pain.
I was sent home 12hrs later.

This is day 4 now,and My entire arm is turning solid black and red. There is a blister the size of my thumb that 4 days later has not burst yet. Everywhere that’s black is turning numb,and the redness hurts worse than my C-section.
I’ve been to 5 different doctors and 1 surgeon this week,and all are at a loss of what to do for me,so they do nothing.
I’m petrified that I’m going to lose my arm now,or die.
If anyone knows how to help me,PLEASE contact me.
skitzoette [at] gmail.com

Laurasays:

I have brown recluse spiders in my apartment they normally become very active around this time of year.. Bombs will kill them. I go to Walmart and buy the Orange raid box that kills for 90 days. I bomb my house or apt and don’t leave it to the apts to get rid of them.

The bomb gets inside of everything and under everything even holes in the house. I bomb with it every 4-5 months and it does the trick just fine.. Also if I wear clothes that have been in the closet or shoes I haven’t worn in a while I shake them violently.. Its really more of habit these days and sometimes I do it when I know its not necessary. I live in Kansas and recluses are very common here.. Its not any harder to get rid of them than it is ants or roaches..

sophie deegansays:

i love this eventhough i hate spiders but there is some amazing pictures on this page it is fantastic!!!!!!!and i have been on this page about 30 times i love it that much becouse it has so much infomation

sophie xx

Gingersays:

My husband and I were both bitten by brown recluse. I new when I saw it what was wrong so I took Tetra cycline and packed with sea salt.My husband went to doctor and got a very strong antibiotic,I also packed his with sea salt.We are healing well. His doctor was suprised how fast he healed.Mine is good to ,buy itches very bad.Any suggestons on itching ? It has been 2 1/2 weeks and have ran out of antibiotics but still have small hole and terrible itch. We also took 1 asprin a day and kept moving and working even though it was painful.We farm so have to take care of animals,plus husband Doc said keep blood circulating even if it hurts

Laurasays:

I live in the desert.and i have been bitten 4 different times. If you don’t get the bite lanced right away. The venom will eat the area of where you been bitten. they same once you been bitten by a brown recluse . it leaves a sent in your blood that other brown recluse can smell a few feet away.

So please take a spider bite very seriously and go to the doctor right away…

Mikey Hendricksays:

I found several Spiders in my home just at several times. I don’t believe they are brown recluse. They may be just giant house spiders. I haven’t got bit by none yet. I mostly stay up all night but I’m up all night anyways. A recluse is going to look different than others usually with a violin shape on its back. A giant house spider or a hobo spider looks almost identical only a 50% chance of injecting venom. they are considered non aggressive.

I live in S. Carolina.

Rebeccasays:

Bentonite Clay is the only known cure for a brown recluse bite. I’ve been bitten twice. The first time I thought I had a boil until the flesh started rotting. When I got bit the second time, I started Googling about alternative remedies and read about Bentonite clay. I already had Bentonite because I use it for detoxing so I kept it on my leg and changed the bandage twice daily, reapplying each change. The bite healed up within a week. The first one took over a month and left a big purple dent in my arm. Do some Googling about bentonite and brown recluse bites. It’s cheap. You can order it online or get it at almost any health food store.

Dakotasays:

i had a friend that was bitten by one he lost his leg because it was to late bad spider

Richeasays:

I was bite by a brown recluse last saturday at a friends house! I went to the dr after I realized it was not a thorn in my thigh after all! I am in so much pain and the medications the docter gave me I do not feel like they are working! I sometimes feel like I am going to pass out, I am also feel like I am going to vomit! What should I do and how long will this last!

Sharonsays:

My son came over today and showed me 4 bites he has on him. Two on the right leg at the upper thigh and on the shin. One on his left shin, and one just below his right breast.

They look like the one on the page for infections and how the woman is sure its brown recluse. I have pictures but, don’t understand how to place them into this question box. I can send them email.
He had begun taking antibiotics earlier today. Do they help?

After he went home he broke open one and all this greenish/yellowish stuff came out. He says they hurt badly especially the one on his shins.
Its only been 3 days since he was bitten.

I want him to go to the hospital and he wont because he does not have insurance.
We live on the west coast of Florida.
Over the weekend he was party-ing a bit too much and he believes he may have passed out in a bush at a bar that is located on marshy lands at the edge of the gulf of Mexico.

Any and all help you could provide would be a great benefit.
As I look through your site the more upset I get. Sorry. But, normally things like this don’t bother me. When it comes to your kids… no matter how old they are…. its upsetting.
Thanks soooo much for you help.
Sharon

gabbysays:

yeah that looks like a brown recluse spider bite you probably need to get medical attention soon. but im not a doctor but im just saying thats what it looks like

gabbysays:

i think i found a brown recluse spider in my bathroom im really scared there are more what should i do.

Candysays:

Wed. Sept 16, 2009

Can anyone tell me if this is a spider bite? If so what kind? My daughter was hiking in the woods last Sat. and on Sun. or Mon. she developed a red and swollen circle. (see picture) She went to the primary Dr. and they didn’t know what it was. Gave her Bactrim antibiotic and said to put hot packs on it. If it is not better come back on Friday Sep18, 2009. What kind of a Dr. does one see for a spider bite? What kind of specialist do you go to.

If anyone can help PLEASE do so at ckc51 [at] comcast.net

Thank You

dianesays:

the brown recluse spider exists in Pennsylvania -our garage is totally infested with them and the basement is starting to become infested. bombs do not work. be prepared to pay for extermination services that may or may not eradicate them.

Jacqueline G. Emryssays:

I was bitten in 2005 by a brown recluse spider in Central Florida. They came down riding in my clothing & in my furniture which was stored in Virginia & Central Florida for a total of about 12 years. I learned the hard way that Storage areas don’t spray & that is how the brown recluse came into Florida. They came in through the thousands of military people who brought their stored stuff with them until they could either buy or find a place to live. If you are like me, you are also unfortunate as my brown recluse spiders seemed to evolve into very large spiders that can take on the largest of the palmetto bugs, those 4 inch types? Well, the venom also evolved right along with the size.

We saw, sprayed & photographed a huntsman crab spider the other day & realized that not only did we bring the brown recluse down, but people who collect & have spiders as pets, have RELEASED them into the wild & now poisonous & sometimes very dangerous spiders have evolved to make their homes in the Central & complete Florida area. Now think you this. As long as you don’t have winter weather that goes below 30, you can have a thriving population of very large brown recluse spiders that don’t die in the winter AND you can have other spiders that are supposed to only live in Australia & Africa which now make their homes comfortably in the high trees of Florida. For those of you living where there is still winter, the bad news is that your spiders may die in the winter, but their eggs will live & they will hatch around March or so of each year. Brown recluse spiders go on the hunt for mates between April & July & become extremely agressive. Add that to the fact that they are also extremely fast, like to jump, live in places that are not well visited which has to include under your bed or anywhere there is furniture with a corner that you might not visit very often & under furniture & behind refrigerators & you realize that you have a HUGE amount of space for brown recluses to live IN. That being said, I have had 4 years of struggles between doctors in Florida who tell me that I couldn’t have been bitten by a brown recluse even though we bagged the body & had it identified by not only a “but” guy for the State but also by the VA’s medical staff for infection diseases. ; & doctors who’ve never worked with bug bites but think that they can “heal” the necrotizing fasciatis that is brought on by the venom from the spider & the possible cases of MRSA either caused by wound care facilities themselves or the people treating me IN them, and ADD that to the hospital bourne infections that I received from hospitals which treated me for the infections caught simply because the wound got so big. It was made even bigger for a graft which failed due to many causes…

NOw we’re trying to get another graft & find someone who will see if there is anything that we can do to make me less appetizing to other spiders. When I was bitten, the worst thing is that the venom creates pheromes which lead other spiders to me thinking that I might be a ready meal for them!!!! I didn’t like spiders to begin with & now they think I’m lunch! My wound is now 17″ wide & takes up almost all the way around my calf & is about 7 inches high. Some treatments for liver function by an acupuncturist actually closed one of the wounds up completely although it opens every now & again & spits out some pus & then closes up again nicely. The last graft grew back in nerves & a great deal of flesh that had been lost through a prior car accident before the spider bite. So my leg “looks normal” but isn’t quite back because it has no skin. The wound feels as if I had a giant blister & the blister popped. That’s what it feels like 24/7. If I don’t take pain killers every 8 hours, I would be a screaming mess & there are times when I cannot lay the leg down at all.

All I can tell you is anything that you haven’t touched in awhile & anywhere that you haven’t been in awhile, get yourself some Spectracide Bug Stop. It can be found in garden centers, it is clear, the quart sized pump bottle [ good for the environment, no butane or aerosols} is about $3.88 & the gallon size for refill only, as the sprayer leaks, is about $6.88. No smell!!!! not horrible for animals once it has dried. Will create a barrier for doors, windows & all those places including boxes that you haven’t been in awhile, SPRAY everything, almost everything can be washed. Its better than the almost $500,000 so far in insurance & my bills that I’ve gone through in 4 years to try to get this healed. And there are STILL doctors who will say to me, scornfully, after I’ve met & written with over 400 people who’ve been bitten, know someone who’s been bitten or worse, lost a digit, an arm or worse to a bite… I had a doctor at Florida Hospital actually say to me less than two months ago….”there’s no such thing as a brown recluse in Florida!!!!” Don’t you believe it. They’re every where that storage is & hasn’t been sprayed. I will be sending 5 or so pictures before & after graft to give you some idea of the horribleness…. Keep you safe SPRAY….

Jessica Trimblesays:

Me little sister found a brown recluse and is keeping it as a pet. I tried to get me mom to make my little sister let it go but, she wont. I’ve tried to take it away from her but she wont let me.

Pattysays:

I have used a kennel universal spray from a farm supply store that can be safely used around animals. (You need to let the kennels, barn, ect.. empty for 2 days atrer spray. I’ve found it safe and keeps spiders, fleas, flys, mites and more at bay for up to 6 months.

Georgiasays:

Do you think my bite is from this spider? My house is covered with spiders. We have 3 inchers all over and we keep spraying inside and outside and we can’t get rid of them. A week ago I thought I had a small bump (maybe a mosquito bite I thought). By the next evening I was about to pass out from the fever it grew two about 3 inches, it was hot and hard. By the next morning it was nearly 6 inches and there was so much bloody pus coming out. I was still sick with a fever. I finally went to the ER 2 days later. Doctor told me it was most likely not a spider bite (even though there are two puncture marks) and that it is just a staph infection. He had to cut it open and clean it out and place this tubing in it to help allow it to drain. I am on anti-biotics. He gave me pain meds but I hate pain meds. I am just pushing through the pain. But I have some pics to show. How do I get pics uploaded to you?

Lindsaysays:

My dad was bit by one in west virginia. It started off looking just like a misquito bite, then it got larger and darker. Eventually the venom started eating away at the back of his shoulder where he wwas bitten. There was an open sore 3in in diameter on his back shoulder filled with purple and white stuff. it was nasty.

gregsays:

I live in Arkansas and we have an infestation of these spiders everywhere. They are non agressive unless they are disturbed near their nesting place. They are nocturnal creatures, and will hunt other insects at night. If you see one in your home during the daytime, more than likely your home is infested. There are several ways to kill these spiders without spending tons of money. First, buy traps, these are boxes with dual openings that have a sticky substance inside. Place them in dark undisturbed places along the walls. Second, find your local farmers co-op, purchase a chemical called Demon WP and treat your home.

These spiders love cardboard boxes, and furniture with hollow undersides next to walls. They also hunt, so if you eliminate their food source (other bugs) they move on.The babies can be just as venomous. Many people that have been bitten in the past develop an anti-venom resistance to the poison and therefore do not react. The bite symptoms are pain, fever, heart arithmias, vomiting followed by necrosis if left untreated.Necrosis is the death of tissue, and it will spread if not stopped. Amputation is rare, but skin graphs are common.

I have witnessed these spiders from various sizes. The smallest being the size of a pea, and the largest being the size of a silver dollar. Some are dark, almost grayish black but typically brown. Males and females share the same venom danger.They are common everywhere, and the only state in the US that has not reported a bite is Hawaii. The most common period for bites is from March to September. They are very dormant in the winter. Studies have indicated that they carry the same dangerous poison as rattle snakes. So if your home is infested, try to imagine hundreds of rattle snakes in your house. Sorry but just being real! Feel better now?

Teresasays:

I was bit by a brown recluse in eastern washington in 1986 and let me tell you, you will know if your ever bitten by one you get really ill you can not even walk after 3 days and the bite creates small blister around the wound which eats away your flesh and they keep poping and creating more blisters which causes the wound to get bigger and bigger which if not treated can cause gang green, I HAD TO BE RUSHED TO HOSPITAL AFTER 4 DAYS OF AGONY AND GOT ANTIBIOTIC SHOTS FOR 6 MONTHS, I AM DEATHLY AFRAID OF SPIDERS SINCE THAT EPISODE, BUT I WAS ONLY 4’11 AND 98LBS AT THE TIME.

Dawnsays:

Does anyone know what a brown recluses bite looks like. I believe my boyfriend got bit last nightafter taking out a stack of old phone books. It started as a diamond shaped red area about 1inx1.5in, then the next morning turned into a small pimple like area with a white head. Can anyone give me an idea if this is a brown recluse!?!

Devansays:

I just caught a Brown Recluse, but i didnt know what it was at the time. So, when i found out i got extremely scared and burned it.

Briansays:

Fortunately I have never had to deal with a brown recluse bite, but my sympathy goes out to all of you who have. Horrible experience. I live in the central Texas area and I remember several years ago there was a doctor on our local TV station talking about applying a nitro glycerin patch to the bite to ward off the effects. From what I understood it had to be done quite soon after the person received the bite, but once it was on, the person experienced very little swelling and there was no tissue death. Has anyone else heard of this? I have looked on the internet, but have not been able to find any information about it.

Donna McCrorysays:

Hi my name is Donna I”m not sure what kind of spider bite i have but I awoke one morning about 5 weeks ago to find my leg stinging and a big red mark that looked like i had a ring worm or a cigarette burn on it .i went to the doctor and got a steroid shot but i have been back about 3 times and am currently on antibotics . so far its not looking any better but i dont have anything running out of it

MJsays:

The issue with the brown recluse bite is not its lethality. Its most likely one of the nastiest spider bites imaginable. Will it kill you? Most likely not, however people have lost fingers, and limbs due to its bite. It is a very serious bite and without treatment is very dangerous.

Brendasays:

I am here to tell you that a bite from a brown recluse is very dangerous.
My sister was bitten about 4 years ago and has had to have 6 or 7 surguries. The latest was just 2 weeks ago. It left a huge hole in her stomach. Which still has to be packed with gause every day. She came very close to death a couple of times. BROWN RECLUSE SPIDERS ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROS.
Now I think my husband has a bite from one on his left elbow. We are watching it very closely. He doesn’t like going to dr’s. He has a fever over 102. That is why I am looking at this sight tonight. I will get no sleep tonight.

Brittsays:

here is a scary thought, i was plugging my camera cord into my pc, and i was turning my camera so i could plug it and and bam..right there on my shorts, there was one crawling up my shorts…i hit it with my camera (solid side) and it didnt die easily..then it took off running towards my shirt…i pinched it n the bottom outside part of my shirt..i took my camera and a note book and squashed it…i think ive been living with these for 3 years now..ive seen many in my room, i kill then when i see them..but you would never think that theyd be so fast!!..also, earlier in the day, my older sister was getting ready to put her baby in the tub to give him a bath, and one was crawling around in the tub..she was freaking out..glad she killed it..